Koochiching County Historical Society and Museum/Bronko Nagurski Museum

The Koochiching Historical Museum was built in 1966, and expanded in 1976, as a result of the efforts of the historical society and the Old Settlers Association for the Bicentennial. The Broko Nagurski Museum was added on in 1993, in honor of the Falls' most famous resident. The lot that the museums sit on use to be a baseball field. In 1909, Dr. M.E. Withrow, mayor, asked E.W. Backus to turn over the lot for a baseball field. Backus agreed and so the land was cleared of stumps and a grandstand that could hold 400 people was built. On May 15, 1910, the field was dedicated with Mayor John Berg throwing the first ball and music played by the city band. Admission was 25 cents and a change in schedule of the train made it possible for visiting teams to come in to play and return the same day. Part of the lot was used for a municipal skating rink with an area boarded off for a hockey rink. The west end of the block was filled with huge piles of wood that were needed to heat city buildings. In 1939, the ball park was torn down and in August of 1940 the construction of the bandshell began. In 1945, Mayor Don Hodgdon went to Chicago to obtain ten units of emergency housing for returning veterans and their families. These houses were placed on the east part of the block and when they were no longer needed they were sold and moved to new locations. The lot remained empty until the installation of Smokey Bear and the construction of the museums.

The Museums started out as a small idea of a few dedicated descendants of pioneers and slowly grew into a modest exhibit in the basement of the courthouse and is now one of the best local museums in the state. The Museums proudly cover Koochiching's history dating back 10,000 years to modern times, and the life of Bronko Nagurski.

Selfie Station: Come take a selfie with Bronko inside the Museum! #koochmuseums #bronkonagurski